Silent Treatment
by How Like a Winter
Summary: Juliet, furious in the aftermath of another argument, refuses to speak...but nobody has been able to beat Benjamin Linus at the silent treatment. One-shot.


"How was the book club, Juliet?" Ben carefully poured the steaming tea into both cups, lifted the kettle, and placed it back on the counter. He'd sat down and cut three pieces of fish before realizing that she had not replied. Glancing up at her, he asked, "Did they enjoy _Flowers for Algerrnon_?" Waiting for her to reply, he wondered absentmindedly where Alex had run off to. No loud music blared from her room, and she hadn't accosted him the moment he entered the house to pick some argument — clearly she'd found something better to do. Growing impatient with being ignored, he said, "Juliet?"

Still looking down at her plate, she only shrugged, and stabbed a piece of fish with her fork. Without blinking, he kept his eyes on her and repeated her name again. Lifting the fork up to her mouth, this time her gaze did flicker up to meet his, but then, unable to hold Ben's blank stare, she lowered her eyes.

Curious, Ben cocked his head to one side and watched her she preferred to argue just as much as Alex, when he upset Juliet enough to crack the mask of composure she so often wore. She reacted aggressively when provoked, the opposite of his passive approach, and she'd never attempted the silent treatment before. _You are many things, Juliet, but never boring._

Ben and Juliet continued eating without either one speaking another word, and Ben decided that after dinner he might as well locate Alex and bring her back home. Tonight he had no patience for jumping up, startled, in the middle of the night when the fourteen-year-old announced her return by slamming the door as she so often did. Besides, a girl her age shouldn't be staying out in the early morning hours anywhere at all, much less some boy's house.

After dumping the dirty dishes in the sink and leaving them for Juliet to wash, he went straight to Karl's house, two silhouettes revealed in his room by the dim lamplight. Ben rapped on the door and waited until Karl's grandmother opened the door. "I'll get Alex," she said wearily, before Ben could even open his mouth. This wasn't the first time Ben had appeared at the gray-haired woman's door and no doubt it wouldn't be the last. He noticed before she turned away that the lines on her haggard face stood out more than usual.

Alex glared at Ben as Karl's grandmother walked her to the doorway. Ben hardly resisted rolling his eyes in irritation or making some sarcastic remark when he saw that Karl hadn't bothered to come at all, probably out of fear of facing his girlfriend's father. "I'll be seeing you," Ben told Karl's grandmother curtly, and walked off with Alex.

Suddenly she stopped and said, "It's only ten. What did I do?"

In an effort to get her walking again, he grabbed her arm, but she jerked away and refused to budge. "What do you expect me to say, Alex, besides that I wanted you home _tonight_ for once, rather than sometime in the morning?"

Folding her arms, she said, "I expect you to explain why I have to go home."

"I'm your father, Alex; I don't need to explain myself."

He watched her jaw clench, her steady glare, but she relented and finally stomped after him. Satisfied, he walked back to the house, glancing back every few minutes to ensure that she still followed. Had she vanished without warning, it wouldn't have been the first time. As they walked, thoughts racing through his head at incalculable speed as they usually did, an idea struck him: "Alex," he said. "How would you like to spend the whole day with Karl tomorrow?" As much as the mere mention of that foolish boy grated on Ben's nerves, he decided he could bear giving permission this once.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Really. You're not joking."

"Of course not, Alex. There is just one condition—you must promise me that you will take him to the beach and stay there until nightfall. I promise, I wouldn't dream of bothering you." Maybe they'd run out of things to do or get in some kind of fight if they really spent the entire day in one another's presence. Yes, a great plan indeed.

She half-smiled, obviously still puzzled.

When they reached the house, she threw the door open and practically skipped upstairs without a word to Juliet. _Good_, Ben thought. It would have ruined everything if Juliet were not left guessing. He entered the living room, where Juliet stood ironing one of Alex's shirts, and she shot him a questioning look but he avoided her eyes. Seeing her own narrow in bewilderment, he thought, _Your curiosity is your downfall. You can't stand not knowing why I brought Alex home, where she was, and why she is so unexpectedly…happy._

Ben knew that Juliet must be itching to voice her displeasure at his leaving her to do _his_ dishes alone, and the fact that she couldn't do so explained why she gripped the handle of the iron with such ferocity that her knuckles paled. His mouth twitched in a smirk, and her cheeks flushed as she noticed that _he_ noticed. She arched one eyebrow and left for the bedroom — clearly the night would begin much earlier, since neither could speak to the other or else lose the game.

Normally at this time they would have maybe turned on the TV and watched something they weren't even that interested in on the couch, or discussed Juliet's latest book, or at least argue. But tonight these options were hardly possible. At least now, whatever so infuriated Juliet earlier had faded, and the silent game seemed to amuse rather than anger her. Ben smiled for real this time at Juliet as she retreated into the bedroom; rarely had he seen her anything but grave and somber for so long.

The next morning Juliet shook him awake roughly, and Ben opened his mouth to ask why before remembering to clamp it shut. Why hadn't the alarm wakened him? Of course he'd never forget to—

Glimpsing Juliet's face as she left the room, he realized at her furrowed brow and frustrated demeanor that she must have shut it off after he'd gone to sleep in the hopes that he would slip up in those moments between dreams and awareness. _Juliet, Juliet…will you ever learn?_ She was the chatty one, anyway, and he had long mastered silence.

Knowing that she probably hoped to finish breakfast and be on her way to work before he arrived downstairs, he dressed quickly and barely ran a comb through his hair before making his way to the kitchen, where she and Alex were sharing the last of the Dharma cereal. Clearly she wanted Ben to tell her that she needed to get more, and he stifled a laugh at her weak efforts. _She thinks this can even compare to the attempts of John Locke and his people?_ Well, she could certainly learn a thing or two.

"Why are you guys staring at each other like that?" said Alex.

Ben spread out his hands and looked at Juliet expectantly as if to say, _You tell her_. But evidently Juliet considered it losing even to talk in front of him, because she only crossed her arms and shrugged. Sighing, Alex stood up, pushed her chair in, and declared, "You guys are weird" before leaving the house.

Mimicking Alex, Ben rolled his eyes, and sighed heavily, sticking out his lower lip in a pout just like his daughter's. While Juliet bit her lip in an obvious effort to keep from laughing, Ben kept his face perfectly straight, staring at her blankly until her shoulders shook with silent laughter. Then, narrowing her eyes, she studied him intensely for a moment before her arm snaked out and she tickled him in the side. No matter how hard she jabbed, though, he didn't chuckle or even flinch.

After three tries on her end, he refused to yield, and decided then to redouble his efforts. _Before we go to bed tonight, I'll have words out of her. _

Already she looked about to burst out laughing at any moment, but Ben wanted more than that. He wanted words, and not until she spoke would he relent. In theory, the competition hardly challenged his abilities at all — just force her into a situation where she could not possibly stay silent, and he would win, as usual. The day he couldn't beat Juliet in a little game would be a sad one indeed, but if the plan he'd set into motion the previous night, worked as expected, he had nothing to worry about.

Then an idea occurred to Ben, and abruptly he stood up and left the house, leaving all his dishes on the table for good measure. Might as well reap all the benefits offered but Juliet's silence, after all. She looked up at him, brow furrowed in puzzlement but also smiling slightly in amusement, and watched him leave. He couldn't see _that_, of course, but felt her eyes on his retreating back.

Because the Island hadn't offered much trouble lately, Richard would most likely be at his house, lacking any duties at the present. Ben walked straight there, although he had a meeting with Tom Friendly soon, but wanted to ensure that he spoke with Richard first.

When he knocked on Richard's door, the man opened it within a second, as though he'd been awaiting Ben's arrival all morning. "You need something?"

"When Juliet comes tonight and inquires as to where Alex is, tell her that you haven't the slightest idea. Can you do that, Richard?"

"But I saw her with—"

"I'm sure you did, Richard, but I need you to tell Juliet that you haven't."

Richard ran a hand through his hair, puzzled, but said, "Sure."

"That's all I needed." Satisfied, Ben left and had his meeting with Friendly. They shared lunch, and Ben found every reason he could think of to drag out their conversation. Before long, he was in conference with Harper and a few of the other doctors about the psychological effects of the fertility problems on the women old enough to conceive, and later he settled a dispute between Bea and Greta. All in all, it was a normal day's work, but he stretched it out until the day had long ended and, more importantly, Juliet had already eaten dinner in solitude.

Smiling to himself in anticipation, Ben finally started walking back to his house. By the time he reached it, the sun had set, and Ben grimaced with the realization that he'd lost on one count — though it was nightfall, Juliet hadn't spoken a word to him all day. But then, he needed every minute of that time to ensure that she spoke as soon as he arrived; that way he could quickly assuage her concern at no one knowing where to locate Alex all day and no way to get in touch with Ben either. Surely her worry grew with every moment that he lingered, and he supposed it would be rather unnecessary to truly alarm her.

The moment he shut the door behind him, Juliet's footsteps pounded down the stairs. "Ben!" she cried, running up to meet him. Her eyes were wide with panic. "I couldn't get in touch with you _or_ Alex! Were you with her?" He shook his head. "Do you have any idea where she is? Even Richard doesn't —"

Holding up a hand to silence her, Ben offered a smile and mustered his most soothing tone of voice. "On the beach with Karl, not far from here."

Juliet opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Finally she crossed her arms in exasperation and demanded, "You _knew_ all this time_?_" When he nodded, she said, "You let me think — well, with all the dangers of wandering too far — I can't believe you!" Her voice shook with anger, or sadness. "Speak, dammit!"

By this point Ben's back was against the door, his eyes wide. "I never thought —"

"Don't give me that. You _always_ think. You probably planned this from the beginning as revenge because I wouldn't speak to you for one night." Shaking her head, she stepped away from him and turned around, head in her hands just briefly before she lifted it and said, "I was stupid enough to think for a little while that —" Breaking off, she sniffed loudly and sat down on the edge of the couch.

For a long moment, she remained there and stared straight ahead in silence. This time, though, there was nothing amusing about it. Ben stared too, wondering how those rare hours of enjoyment between them had unraveled so quickly.

* * *

AN: Originally this wasn't going to end on such a melancholy note, and I set out to write something fluffy and happy. But he's just so awkward with her, and seems to have a knack for upsetting people. When I considered how Ben might try to make Juliet talk, I thought, it would be something like this, that would probably upset Juliet even if he didn't intend it.


End file.
